Whaling National Historical Park chief takes job in Boston

Monday

Jun 30, 2008 at 12:01 AM

NEW BEDFORD — Celeste Bernardo, the superintendent of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park for the past 3½ years, has announced that she will be leaving her post to take a job with the Park Service in Boston.

DON CUDDY

NEW BEDFORD — Celeste Bernardo, the superintendent of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park for the past 3½ years, has announced that she will be leaving her post to take a job with the Park Service in Boston.

She will start as deputy superintendent of Boston National Historical Park and Boston African-American National Historic Site on Aug. 4. Her final day on the job in New Bedford will be Aug. 1.

"It was a tough decision," she said. "I have enjoyed working with the staff and our partners and I made so many wonderful friends here in New Bedford. I planned on staying in New Bedford for at least five years. Right now everything is coming together so well for the park with the Corson building open and Ernestina in the shipyard. We have so many projects in the works that it's hard to leave. I am going to miss it terribly. But this is a big promotion for me and a good opportunity."

In her new capacity, Ms. Bernardo will be working from an office at the Charleston Navy Yard, where she worked for the Park Service from 1995 to 2001.

"I also worked for the Constitution museum for two years so I am pretty familiar with the setup there."

The Park Service has more than 100 employees at its numerous sites spread throughout several communities in the Greater Boston area that include national historic landmarks such as Faneuil Hall, the Old North Church, the USS Constitution and the Bunker Hill monument. As deputy superintendent, she will be responsible for overseeing park operations, she said.

She will continue to serve as a commissioner of the schooner Ernestina.

"I will stay on until they appoint new members," she said, "and after that I plan to continue as a volunteer."

In appointing her successor, the Park Service will advertise within the government, she said.

"They may appoint someone quickly or go with an interim. But right now is a perfect opportunity for someone to come in and take the park to the next level."